


D4 Scooby-Doo! A Study in Wand Smoke

by wsdsrdbw4096



Series: Dimension Four [13]
Category: Scooby Doo - All Media Types, Scooby-Doo! Abracadabra-Doo (2010)
Genre: Alternate Universe - 1970s, Canon Rewrite, Gen, Ireland, Magic, Original Character(s)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-01
Updated: 2021-01-17
Packaged: 2021-03-10 18:16:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 7,520
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28471524
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wsdsrdbw4096/pseuds/wsdsrdbw4096
Summary: As the title suggests, this story is a rewrite of Scooby-Doo! Abracadabra-Doo. While visiting Velma's Uncle Cosmo and sister Madelyn, who are taking part in the restoration of the historic Caisleán O'Flannery in Ireland, the gang and their friend Garfield Wu are dragged into a magical mystery when the castle grounds is haunted by a gryphon. Please read and review!
Series: Dimension Four [13]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/625010





	1. Prologue and on the train

**Author's Note: As previously announced, my rewrite of the KISS crossover, titled _Sgt. Scooby's Lonely Hearts Club Band_ , has been discontinued due to a lack of inspiration. As such, with the completion of _Rush Hour in Hong Kong_ , I now present you this new entry for my D4 series.**

**As the title suggests, this story is a rewrite of the 2010 DTV film _Abracadabra Doo!_ and takes place after the events of Season 1 of TNSD Movies.**

**Also, this story functions as a backdoor pilot to a series of Garfield Wu stories within the D4 series titled _Chronicles of the Dragon Instinctor_ , in which an instinctor is an extremely rare blood type in the wizarding world.**

**This storyline thus also touches on the meme of Shaggy using point one percent of his power, where further chapters will explain this concept.**

**In addition, the setting of D4 depicts an Ireland that is independent and united with no partition taking place in 1921 like in real-life.**

**As such, Irish names for places in Ireland will be employed throughout the story, including places that are part of Northern Ireland in real-life, such as County Down, which will be referred as Contae an Dún throughout the story.**

**I don't own _Scooby-Doo._ Hanna-Barbera Productions and Warner Bros. does.**

* * *

Chapter 1: Prologue and on the train

_March 17, 1973_

It was a cloudy evening in Coolsville as the streetlights reflects on the wet pavement, the result of the rainy weather earlier that day.

The traffic was largely light on State Route 292 as most of the evening commuters have returned home for the night, and for the most part, besides the occasional vehicle driving down the highway in either direction, all was calm.

That is, until the Mystery Machine sped down the eastbound lanes of the highway, right past a sign directing drivers to the exit that leads to the Coolsville Aerodrome.

The Mystery Machine was followed by three police cruisers with flashing sirens, though to be exact, the police weren't in hot pursuit of the gang.

Rather, the gang are leading the police to where the culprit in their latest case is believed to be at.

The scene shifts then zooms in from outside the Mystery Machine through the windshield to the front row, where Fred was seated behind the wheel as usual. His hands were gripping the steering wheel and he had a serious frown on his face.

Beside him sat Velma and Daphne, both of whom look anxious as the former glanced out the window while the latter checks the time on her wristwatch.

Seated behind Fred and the girls in the back are Shaggy, Scooby, Debbie, Mark and Tinker, where the latter three turned towards the former briefly.

As Tinker petted Scooby in the head gently, Shaggy glanced at the time on his watch before the scene moves out of the van and onto one of the police cruisers, in which the sergeant behind the wheel was gripping the steering wheel with a determined look on his face.

The scene instantly shifts to several miles ahead in which Madelyn Dinkley and Maggie Rogers, the younger sisters of Velma and Shaggy respectively, seated on Speed Buggy as they approached the aerodrome.

"Here we are." Madelyn declared as the aerodrome came into view from the hill they're approaching. "The private aircraft Mr. Offlark will use to escape the country must be still in the hangar."

"I hope you're right, Maddie." Maggie gritted her teeth. "Step on it, Speedy!"

"Sp-sp-stepping on it!" Speedy replied before he accelerated.

A short while later, the trio pulled up at the Coolsville Aerodrome, just outside the fence separating the parking lot from the taxiway and adjacent to the hangar.

Without missing a beat, the two girls hopped off Speedy and sneaked over to the hangar.

Creaking the side door open, Maggie peaked in briefly before she turned towards Madelyn and nodded, prompting the latter to nod back before she joined her in sneaking into the hangar while Speedy waited outside.

Quietly tiptoeing their way down the narrow hallway, the duo swiftly hid behind a column when a man walked by the door at the other end.

Fortunately, the man in question didn't seem to catch a glimpse of them and carried on, enabling the girls to relax and continue towards the door.

When they arrived at the door, they spotted a couple of technicians working on the private jet with a few other men loitering around, one of whom was Mr. Offlark.

"There's Mr. Offlark!" Madelyn whispered to Maggie, who nodded. "They're still grounded in the hangar, which means they might be having engine troubles."

Unaware that the two intruders were observing him and his henchmen, Mr. Offlark walked to the technicians and asked, "How are we on the engine repairs?"

"The aircraft should be up and running in five minutes, Vince." One of the technicians replied. "We just need to complete the final round of checks on the exhaust system and conduct an oil check."

"Okay, good to know." Offlark nodded in reply. "Just make it snappy, I don't have all evening."

"You got it, Vince." The second technician nodded.

Having had heard the conversation, Maggie and Madelyn turned towards each other.

"They say that the aircraft will be up and running in five minutes." Madelyn said as she checked her wristwatch. "We don't have five minutes to wait on the gang to arrive here with the police."

"Indeed we don't." Maggie frowned. "There must be something we can do to stall them and buy some time."

The two girls glanced towards the the two technicians, Offlark and then his five henchmen, before Madelyn thought of something.

"I may have something." Madelyn whispered to Maggie before she nodded towards the side entrance door and added, "Come on!"

Maggie only nodded as she followed Madelyn out of the hangar, where Speedy was waiting.

"Speedy, do you think you can cause a backfire?" Madelyn asked.

"A sp-sp-backfire?" Speedy asked. "What for?"

"We just need some smoke and fireworks in there." Madelyn nodded towards the door. "Something that will visibly impede their efforts to taxi onto the runway."

As Maggie reached into the trunk to grab a length of rope, Speedy nodded. "I might have just the thing."

Back inside the hanger, the two technicians had just finished closing up the engine lids and flashed a thumbs up to Offlark.

Offlark nodded before he turned towards the henchman on the top end of the airstair, inside the aircraft, and instructed, "Start conducting the pre-flight checks."

The henchman in question nodded before he entered the cockpit, joining two others that were already inside, while Offlark turned towards the two other henchmen and nodded towards the aircraft.

As the trio embarked on the private jet, one of the henchmen accompanying him remarked, "I gotta say it was quite the neat setup you had for a while, Vince. Deliberately sabotaging the chemical plant's operations to claim the insurance money while covering up the 'losses'."

"Not to mention setting Thelmer up to take the fall for the racket while we get out of here with millions!" The second henchman added.

"Yes, well, part of the success was to keep those meddling kids and the cops running around in circles." Offlark remarked. "Keeping them occupied with that Chemical Creep was just a lucky cover for-"

Offlark was cut off mid-sentence when their attention was diverted by the sound of a vehicle crashing through the main entrance door.

Turning towards the source of the commotion, the trio spotted Speed Buggy rushing towards the aircraft with large amounts of smoke emerging from his exhaust pipes, with Madelyn and Maggie on board, both donning gas masks.

Before any of them could react, Speedy started to do donuts around the private jet, creating a large cloud of smoke that surrounded the aircraft.

As Offlark and his companions started coughing from the exhaust smoke, he turned towards the cockpit and shouted, "Start *cough* the engines *cough* now!"

However, before the henchmen could carry out their orders, several punches came flying, which sent Offlark and his henchmen to the floor.

By the time the gang and the police pulled up, the inside of the hangar was cleared of smoke while Madelyn and Maggie emerged from the private jet triumphantly.

Seeing the gang and the police officers streaming into the hangar, Madelyn gestured towards the jet and said, "Perfect timing, guys."

Fred only exhaled while the police officers swiftly moved into the private jet to handcuff Offlark and his henchmen, who were all tied up.

After the prisoners were hauled out, the gang proceeded to explain Offlark's scheme of embezzling funds, particularly through writing off self-inflicted losses as products of unforeseeable insurable damage.

To top it all off, Thelmer played right into Offlark's hands by donning the Chemical Creep disguise in order to get away with industrial espionage, which enabled Offlark to set her up to take the fall for his embezzlement scheme.

"Yeah, and I would've gotten away with it, too, if it weren't for those two meddling kids!" Offlark shouted as he taken away, during which he nodded towards Madelyn and Maggie.

As the police loaded Offlark and his henchmen onto the cruisers, the gang turned towards Maggie and Madelyn.

"I thought I told you guys to wait for our instructions, Maddie." Velma said sternly to her sister.

"You did." Madelyn replied nonchalantly. "We also figured that as long as we wait for said instructions, we might as well fly off to who knows where to chase another rumour in the case."

"Point taken." Daphne said. "In either way, we wouldn't have wrapped this case up if it weren't for the two of you."

"Oh, don't thank us." Maggie said as she gestured towards Speedy. "Speedy's the one you should thank."

"Oh really?" Debbie asked.

"You guys should've seen the smokescreen Speedy made." Madelyn explained.

"How did you do it, Speedy?" Tinker asked as they turned towards the buggy.

"Oh, it's nothing, really." Speedy's cheeks flushed. "Just a bit of charcoal dust inside the exhaust pipe, no need to backfire."

"Ah, that's reassuring." Mark said. "If you had backfired, I was thinking that you would need a checkup."

"Like, I don't suppose you guys could decide whether to take Speedy to a vet or a mechanic if that was the case." Shaggy remarked, prompting some chuckles from his friends while his sister Maggie playfully slapped him in the back.

"Oh, Norville." Maggie chuckled.

* * *

_August 21, 1973_

Fast forward to later that summer, it was a warm sunny afternoon as the southbound Córas Iompair Éireann (Irish Transport System)-operated diesel train smoothly cruised through the countryside as it travelled down the mainline of the Iarnród de Béal Feirste & Contae an Dún (Belfast and County Down Railway) that afternoon.

The train sounded its horn as it passed through a grade-crossing, while the bilingual announcement on board declared that the train will be arriving at An Comar (Comber) in ten minutes.

While a significant number of passengers were commuters heading home after a day of work at Béal Feirste (Belfast), there were plenty more passengers who are visitors and tourists.

Among the visitors were members of Mystery Inc., along with their friend Garfield Wu, as they eagerly waited for the train to arrive in Dún Pádraig (Downpatrick).

"I gotta say it was nice of you guys to invite me to tag along for your visit." Garfield remarked as the train began to slow down. "Especially when this is my first time visiting Europe."

"It's also the first time for all of us, Garfield." Fred said. "What makes this exciting is that we will be joining Velma's Uncle Cosmo and her sister Madelyn in Downpatrick as they restore the historic Caisleán O'Flannery."

"I presume that it involves a lot of architectural conservation as part of restoring the historic landmark, eh?" Garfield offered.

"Indeed it does, Garfield." Velma nodded as she read a guidebook. "The castle was known for having a long history of mystical happenings, a reputation that was further bolstered while Seamus O'Flannery, the Earl of Down, resided in it during the 19th century."

"Sounds pretty dark when you put it this way, Velma." Garfield interjected.

"Well, it is said that the Earl of Down, like Henry Blackwood, the Baron Whitechapel, practiced dark magic." Daphne said as she read the guidebook.

"Now that sounds very creepy." Shaggy remarked.

"Reah, creepy." Scooby agreed.

"It gets even creepier." Velma continued. "After Lord O'Flannery died, his remains were entombed on an island crypt in one of the small lakes near the loch, of which the castle overlooks."

"I see." Garfield nodded thoughtfully. "The castle never passed down to any heirs, I presume?"

"No, Lord O'Flannery died childless. He did explicitly stated that the castle be turned into a tourist spot and open to the public in his will, though." Velma said. "However, the local authority back then didn't have the funds for the upkeep, not to mention the mystical legends surrounding the circumstances of his death has contributed to a very haunting reputation that has kept the locals away for years."

"Like, don't you think the local town would be up in arms as the conservation work gets underway?" Shaggy asked.

"That's the thing, Shag." Velma said. "They're only legends, nothing much was really proven and over time, the locals have came to accepted the castle's place in the town's history, especially when it is supposed to be under the safeguarding of a gryphon."

"Why doesn't that sound reassuring?" Shaggy turned towards Scooby, who swallowed.

"Relax, you two." Velma turned towards them. "It's not like gryphons actually exist, they're only mythical creatures."

"Besides, my old high school has a gryphon as a mascot." Garfield added. "And nothing has went wrong with gryphons throughout the three years I attended there."

The gang turned towards Garfield as he made the remark, then Shaggy said, "Fair enough."

By that point, the train had pulled out of the platform of An Comar (Comber) Station following the ten-minute stop as it carries on towards its final destination in An Caisleán Nua (Newcastle), during which it will make a five-minute stop at Dún Pádraig (Downpatrick), the gang's destination.

"So anyways, how did your trip in Hong Kong went, Garfield?" Daphne asked, prompting Garfield, who briefly turned towards the window, to turn back.

"Oh yeah, you told me that there were some of our old case files that was related to what you were doing in Hong Kong." Fred added.

"Indeed it did." Garfield nodded before he proceeded to provide a short but brief summary of his adventures in Hong Kong two months ago.

The gang listened intently as Garfield described the kidnapping of a diplomat's daughter, the involvement of organized crime, particularly with regards to A. Fong being part of a rival breakaway faction of the syndicate involved, and the team-up with an inspector who seemingly doesn't have what it takes to actually be in a leadership position.

**(For more information, check out _D4 Rush Hour in Hong Kong!_ through my FictionPress profile.)**

"Wow wee, sounds like you had quite the adventure in Hong Kong, Garfield." Velma remarked after Garfield finished the story.

"Like, I never realized just how much was at stake when we had our run-in with the Ghost of Zen Tuo and the Scare Pair, not after you mentioned their involvement in shady business that's worse than smuggling." Shaggy added.

"What bothered me the most was the man responsible." Daphne remarked. "A senior-level police officer moonlighting as A. Fong's former boss all along?"

"It's definitely dangerous." Garfield nodded. "Especially when he was responsible for much of our hard work in Canada going up in smoke for months, not to mention he knows how everything operates behind the scenes."

"No kidding." Fred agreed. "And with the way you described what had happened during the course of your adventures there, it makes even the most serious case we've dealt with a walk in the park by comparison, especially with all those gunfights and you using your martial arts skills."

"Not unless you count the time Scoob and I rescued Daphne after she was held hostage by the corrupt sheriff of Tumbleweed County." Shaggy offered. "Or the time where I headbutted one of the Scare Pair and planted my feet into the chest of the other."

"Right." Fred said as the others nodded. "Either way, what counts the most was that in the end, the victim was safe and sound."

"Indeed she was." Garfield agreed. "Shaken up by the ordeal, but otherwise alright."

"Say, Garfield." Velma interjected. "Is Cantonese your first language? You did speak it fluently when you met Henry, Stanley and the Chan Clan during last year's Music Talent contest in Montreal."

"No, not exactly." Garfield shook his head. "Although I do speak Cantonese fluently, it's not my first language. Rather, English and Hokkien are both my first languages, while French, Hakka, Japanese and Mandarin adds onto the languages I speak fluently."

"Like, what's the difference between Hokkien, Hakka, Cantonese and Mandarin?" Shaggy asked. "They're all Chinese, aren't they?"

"Yes and no." Garfield replied. "While they are all part of the Chinese language family, they aren't exactly mutually intelligible although we do share the same writing systems. Therefore, if I were to speak Hokkien to a Hong Konger like Henry and Stan, unless I write out what I'm trying to communicate, they won't be able to understand me, and vice versa."

"Understood." Daphne nodded.

Some time went by before the bilingual announcement came through the speakers, announcing that the train will be arriving at Dún Pádraig (Downpatrick) in ten minutes, prompting the gang to get ready.

"Alright, gang, we're almost there." Fred declared.

"Oh, goodie." Shaggy remarked as he rubbed his hands. "Scoob and I were getting concerned that we might have to skip dinner."

"Shag, it's hardly even five in the afternoon." Velma pointed out.

"Yeah, but since there's no snack bar onboard the train, Scoob and I are pretty much starved." Shaggy replied.

"Sounds like whenever you guys travel, there's never a moment where you guys aren't starving, Shag." Garfield remarked.

"You know them, Garfield." Fred said. "I'm sure you heard about Shag and Scooby eating out the entire snack bar of the _Canadian_ during our past couple trips in Canada."

"Right." Garfield nodded with a chuckle. "Can't say I'm surprised."

"Hey, a man's gotta do what a man's gotta do." Shaggy protested, though the tone in his voice was more playful than accusing. "Wouldn't you agree, Scoob?"

"Reah!" Scooby piped up.

"Oh, relax, you two." Velma said. "We will be having our supper once we arrive at Uncle Cosmo's place."

"More like we might have to eat out if we don't move fast enough to have supper." Fred remarked.

The others only chuckled in response as the scene shifts to outside the train as it sounds the horn while approaching a rail junction and then towards the afternoon sky.

The afternoon sun subsequently lapsed into a late-evening setting sun, and the scene shifts from the sky to the nearby woods, stopping right at an owl resting on a tree branch. The iris in both of its eyes began to slowly shrank as two sources of light began to approach the tree it was resting on from the direction it was facing towards.

It was soon revealed that the lights were coming from flashlights held by a couple on a hike through the woods as the sunlight began to fade away with the setting sun.

"I really think we should start turning around and head back home, Sherman." The woman remarked as they walked down the trail. "It's getting really dark, and who knows how long the lights are gonna hold."

"Relax, Treena, we'll turn around and head back home once we get to the spot where I last spotted it." Sherman replied.

"Spotted what?" Treena was starting to grow impatient. "I told you that we can come back tomorrow during the day, so you can find whatever it is that has possessed you to drag me out of the house for this wretched hike."

"Trust me, Treena." Sherman said as he held his binoculars. "This hike is going to be worth it, especially since this particular bird isn't supposed to even exist."

Treena sighed. "Don't tell me you've spotted the feather of a mythical creature that's gonna be a waste of time to find, especially when we could be watching a movie...together."

"Don't be silly, Treena." Sherman said. "Watching a movie on the sofa isn't the way to spend the evening when the weather's nice out here."

Treena sighed again. "Fine, but whatever it is you want me to see, it better be worth it as you've promised, because-"

Before Treena could finish, Sherman suddenly shushed her.

"Hold it." He whispered. "I can hear it close by."

His flashlight was aimed towards a tree branch where a leaf was seen floating down, and for a brief moment, there was complete silence from the duo.

Ultimately though, the source of the noise turned out to be from a cuckoo, who promptly flew away the minute Sherman pointed his flashlight at it.

"That cuckoo the bird you've dragged me out to see?" Treena asked.

"No, that's not it." Sherman shook his head, looking dejected, before he continued on down the trail. "But we're getting warm."

As she watched Sherman continue down the trail, Treena sighed. "The only thing around that's getting warm is my flashlight."

Just then, several more leaves came floating down from above her, prompting Treena to look around with her flashlight before looking up, where a giant pair of eyes stared back down at her.

For a brief moment, Treena was about to resume following Sherman when it the realisation of what she just saw hit her, prompting her to whip around and come face-to-face with the head of a giant eagle-like creature.

When the creature stepped forward, Treena promptly backed away before she ran off down the direction Sherman had headed towards.

Sherman was looking around through his binoculars when Treena joined him, during which she turned around and shined her flashlight back towards the creature she just saw.

"Sherman?" She asked.

"Yes?" Sherman said.

"Does this creature you're searching for...have a pair of unusually-large eyes?" Treena asked.

"Oh yes, I'd say so." Sherman replied. "It is a nocturnal predator."

"And...a large beak...?" Treena asked as she started to shake in fear, during which the creature began to walk towards a nearby opening and she added, "With...legs?"

Before Sherman could respond, the creature suddenly screeched loudly before taking off into the air, the flapping of its giant wings sent swooshes of air blowing towards the pair as Sherman now turned around.

Watching the creature flying away into the evening sky, Sherman swallowed.

"On second thought, I think watching a movie's a better way to spend the evening." He said before he grabbed Treena's hand and added, "Run!"

Without further urging, Treena immediately took off running with Sherman following close behind, during which the scene shifted back to the owl as it watched the pair running off.

* * *

**First story of 2021, folks! Happy New Year!**

**Please read and review!**


	2. Dinnertime, mysterious going-ons and the encounter

Chapter 2: Dinnertime, mysterious going-ons and the encounter

After the train pulled into the platform of Stáisiún Dún Pádraig (Downpatrick Station), the gang disembarked with their luggage in tow.

Being a small town railway station, the main lobby wasn't as large or bustling with activity as Stáisiún Sráide Iontach Victoria (Great Victoria Street Station) in Béal Feirste (Belfast), so it didn't take long for the gang to find Velma's Uncle Cosmo and Madelyn waiting for them in the lobby.

"Maddie!" Velma exclaimed as she rushed over to her sister, who opened her arms and smiled. "Uncle Cosmo!"

"Velma, dear!" Cosmo smiled as the two sisters embraced briefly before Velma turned towards him for another hug. "It's been a while."

"I'll say." Velma agreed. "How are things so far with the restoration?"

"It's coming along." Cosmo replied. "Madelyn has been taking a great deal of interest in the work."

"Glad to hear." Velma said as she turned towards Madelyn.

Seeing the gang, Madelyn said, "I see you've brought the gang along with you."

"Indeed I have." Velma nodded before she turned towards the gang and Garfield. "Gang, this is our uncle Dr. Cosmo Dinkley. He's the archeologist that is taking part in the restoration work of Caisleán O'Flannery."

Then, turning towards her uncle, Velma continued, "Uncle Cosmo, this is the gang, comprising of Fred Jones, Daphne Blake, Norville 'Shaggy' Rogers and Scooby Doo."

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Dr. Dinkley." Fred stepped forward as Cosmo extended his hand.

"The pleasure's mine." Cosmo smiled as Fred shook his offered hand.

"We heard a lot of great things you've done in the field of archeology, Dr. Dinkley." Daphne said as Cosmo turned towards her. "It's quite the interesting subject."

"Glad to hear." Cosmo said as he shook Daphne's hand.

Turning towards Shaggy and Scooby, Cosmo continued, "Mr. Rogers. Madelyn has spoken a great deal about you and your sister Margaret."

"Oh, yeah." Shaggy said as the others turned towards Madelyn, who beamed. "Like, she can get very excited about us, especially whenever she's hanging around with Maggie."

Cosmo nodded as he shook Shaggy's hand. "By any chance, you both wouldn't happen to be related to Dr. Henry Rogers, would you?"

"Like, he's our grand-uncle." Shaggy nodded. "Why? You know him?"

"Like many in the field of archeology, I certainly knew him by reputation." Cosmo explained. "I also had the pleasure of studying under his mentorship for my postgraduate thesis."

"Ah, glad to hear." Shaggy said before Cosmo turned towards Scooby.

"Well, well, I heard a lot about you, Scooby-Doo." Cosmo said cheerfully.

"Ri must've quite re reputation." Scooby remarked as he extended his paw to the archeologist.

"Of course Scooby does." Garfield remarked, prompting Fred to smile in amusement while Velma turned towards him.

"In addition, Uncle Cosmo and Maddie." Velma said, prompting Cosmo and Madelyn to turn towards her. "This is Garfield Wu. He's our friend from Canada and has agreed to tag along with the visit."

"How do you do, Mr. Wu?" Cosmo asked as he extended his hand to Garfield.

"I am doing well, Dr. Dinkley." Garfield replied as he shook Cosmo's offered hand. "A pleasure to be of acquaintance with you."

"Likewise." Cosmo smiled. "Where exactly in Canada do you hail from?"

"The national capital Ottawa." Garfield responded. "I take it you've been to Canada, yes?"

"Indeed." Cosmo nodded. "I've done a number of guest lectures at York University, University of British Colombia and McGill University."

"Ah, good to know." Garfield nodded before turning towards Madelyn and added, "And it's also a pleasure to meet you, Madelyn. Velma spoke highly of you."

"Oh, knowing her, she probably leave out the good parts whenever she talks about me." Madelyn chuckled as she shook Garfield's hand, prompting Velma to flush briefly as the others glanced towards her. "You have any siblings, Garfield?"

"Indeed I do." Garfield replied. "I have a younger brother named David and two younger sisters, named Diana and Emma, who are twins. In fact, Diana has been fascinated with archeology and aspires to become an archeologist some day."

"Ah, is that right?" Cosmo asked. "Good for her. What's your field of study in university, Mr. Wu?"

"Civil engineering." Garfield said.

"Ah, that's good to know." Cosmo nodded thoughtfully before he turned towards the rest of the gang and continued, "Either way, I suppose you all had a long day after taking the train from Dublin and Belfast."

"Indeed, Uncle Cosmo." Velma said. "In fact, it's definitely safe to say that our two resident walking appetites are starving from the long trip."

"Oh, I can certainly imagine, sis." Madelyn nodded before Cosmo led the way out of the station and she added, "Come on!"

* * *

A short while later, the group arrived at the small manor Cosmo and Madelyn have set up residence in for the duration of the restoration.

As the group made their way into the manor, they can see Caisleán O'Flannery overseeing the town from the nearby hill.

It was very much apparent that the manor, being located just a yard shy from the roadway intersection at the outskirts of the town, is practically the closest to the historic castle.

And even from the distance, it was equally apparent that the road the manor is situated on was hardly used beyond said intersection, where the bulk of the road traffic predominantly turns onto the perpendicular roadways.

After entering the manor, the gang were assigned to their individual rooms.

Naturally, Velma was assigned to Madelyn's room, which was one of two rooms equipped with a bunk bed, the other being the room Shaggy and Scooby were assigned to.

As the guests settled into their rooms and unpacked, Cosmo and his chef were down in the kitchen preparing dinner.

"Better double the output." Cosmo said to the chef, who nodded.

Soon, with the Irish stew, soda farl, colcannon and dessert ready to go, Cosmo went to the kitchen entrance and shouted, "Dinner's ready!"

Almost immediately, Garfield was the first to sprint out of his room, during which he almost collided with Fred on the way to the stairs.

"Guess you're looking to beat Shag and Scooby to the dinner table, eh Garfield?" Fred remarked.

"You know me, Fred." Garfield nodded as Daphne and the Dinkley sisters joined in. "Better get our plates ready before Shag and Scoob starves everyone else."

No sooner did they start climbing down the stairs did Shaggy and Scooby emerge from their rooms. "Hey, like, wait up!"

"We just got started in heading down the stairs, Shag." Daphne turned towards the duo as she climbed down the stairs before she teased, "What's the matter, your psychic powers for whenever food's ready not working?"

"Rey!" Scooby growled, though it was more playful in tone. "Re're still starving, rokay?"

"Not to worry, guys." Madelyn said. "I'm sure Uncle Cosmo's chef prepared plenty, not just for everyone, but also for your appetites."

Eventually, everyone had their plates served and have taken their seats around the dinner table.

In addition to the loaded dinner dish, Garfield also has a glass of water and a bottle of Cavan Cola as he sat on the opposite end of the table from Cosmo.

"Wow, you sure got plenty on your plate, Garfield." Velma remarked as Garfield took his seat.

"Yeah, I've been always interested in trying out Irish cuisine." Garfield nodded while placing the napkin on his lap. "Also figured that I can get as much on my plate as I can."

"Looks more like you on track to attaining the same appetite as Shag and Scooby if you decide to go for seconds." Daphne observed before nodding at the giant piles on Shaggy and Scooby's plates.

Like Garfield, the duo were also each carrying a bottle of Cavan Cola as they took their seats.

"Looks like you guys are also giving the Cavan Cola a shot, Shag." Garfield remarked as the duo get their napkins.

"Indeed we are." Shaggy nodded before he used a bottle opener to open the bottle.

After Garfield and Scooby followed suit, the trio each extended their arms with their bottles in hand as Shaggy continued, "Like, cheers."

Garfield nodded as their bottles clinked. "Cheers."

* * *

By the time the sun started to set, everyone was very much stuffed from dessert.

"Holy moly, I don't think I can eat another bite of gudge." Fred remarked as he wiped his mouth with a napkin and patted his stomach.

"You and me both, Fred." Velma agreed as she took a sip of water before turning towards Shaggy, Scooby and Garfield and remarked, "Though it certainly amazes me that Garfield seems to have an appetite almost on par with Shag and Scoob."

"You don't say, sis." Madelyn remarked. "What amazes me more is that Garfield seems to be able to completely wipe his plates clean."

"Indeed." Daphne said. "By the looks of things, it looks like there was hardly anything to begin with on Garfield's plates."

After taking a sip of water, Garfield laid back and exhaled briefly. "Well, I don't think I can take another bite."

"Yeah, we were thinking that your appetite is not going to be able to catch up to Shag and Scooby's, Garfield." Madelyn said.

"That's what happens when the cola literally fills your stomach up with gas." Garfield said before he covered his mouth to suppress a burp and added, "Excuse me."

Turning towards Shaggy and Scooby, Daphne remarked, "You guys sure enjoyed the meal, eh?"

"We sure did, Daph." Shaggy replied after finishing a slice of gudge. "Like, I might consider moving in to live in Ireland if that means being able to taste the delicious cuisine, wouldn't you agree, Scoob?"

"Reah." Scooby agreed. "Re-he-he-he-he-he-he-he!"

"Anyways, I'm going to head outside for a walk." Garfield said as he stood up and gathered his plates and utensils. "Any of you guys wanting to join me?"

"You can count me in, Garfield." Shaggy nodded as he stood up as well before patting his stomach as he added, "Nothing calms the stomach down better than going out on a walk, right Scoob?"

"Reah." Scooby agreed as he patted his stomach.

Garfield then turned towards Fred and the girls and added, "Are any of you guys gonna join us?"

"You guys can go ahead, Garfield." Fred said. "I still got plenty to unpack."

"Thought I told you not to overpack, Fred." Daphne said to him.

"You did." Fred said sheepishly. "Guess the extra luggage handling fees at the airport and train station are on me, huh?"

Garfield, Shaggy and Scooby shared glances with each other briefly before Garfield picked up the plates and utensils and nodded towards the kitchen.

After a brief detour to his room, Shaggy and Scooby were waiting as Garfield came down the stairs with his instant camera in hand.

"We'll see you guys later back here, Dr. Dinkley." Garfield said when he and the duo were at the door.

"Alright." Cosmo nodded. "Just don't get lost out there, especially when it gets dark."

* * *

After Shaggy, Scooby and Garfield had left, the Dinkley sisters were busy helping out with the dishes with Cosmo and the chef in the kitchen while Fred and Daphne were back in their respective rooms.

"Well, I gotta say you guys have settled down well into staying here in Downpatrick with us, Velma." Madelyn remarked as she placed the dirty dishes into the sink.

"That, we did, Maddie." Velma nodded. "Though I'm surprised that the guys were willing to go out for a walk as it gets darker outside."

"Thought you told them that the gryphon was part of a legend." Madelyn remarked.

"I did, not that I should expect that our stay will be interrupted by a mythical creature that doesn't exist." Velma said.

"Well, about that, I'm afraid there's actually more to the invitation to stay with us here than at first glance, Velma." Cosmo said.

"What do you mean by that, Uncle Cosmo?" Velma raised an eyebrow.

"In the past couple of weeks, there has been some strange going-ons near the castle that has been scaring away the staff members working on the restoration." Cosmo explained. "No one has been able to fully pinpoint what exactly was the cause for those strange going-ons."

"Strange going-ons?" Velma asked as she put down a plate she was washing. "As in anything related to the mystic reputation of the Caisleán O'Flannery?"

"Specifically, the scared-away staff members have been reporting sightings of the gryphon guarding the castle." Cosmo said. "Now, knowing your skepticism towards anything related to the supernatural, I'm sure you would likely dismiss the gryphon appearances as possibility some prank or something else that is criminal in nature."

"Like a thief taking advantage of the legends to hide his loot, for example." Velma offered.

"Yes, that." Cosmo nodded. "But what my assistants have reported over the past couple weeks, along with what Madelyn and I have witnessed a few days ago...that was more than just some prank or disguise."

"Giant feathers and pawprints, for instance." Madelyn interjected. "If someone was using a giant gryphon costume that is in such a large size, there's no way said costume can be stored in somewhere hidden in town."

"And even if the costume was inflated, there's no way the sighted pawprints near the castle grounds would have the same depth and suggested density than what would be expected from a costume." Cosmo added. "And that's just the groundwork alone, there's no way to explain how is it that the gryphon was able to take off and land the way it did."

"Hmmm." Velma nodded thoughtfully. "And you're positive that the feathers found near where the gryphon was reported to be sighted couldn't have been from a costume?"

"If it was a indeed a costume, there's no way to explain the realistic texture of the feathers." Madelyn said.

"The schedule for the restoration has already been put off as a result of those ruffled feathers from the gryphon sighting." Cosmo added. "If that creature continues to cause trouble around here, further putting back the schedule of the restoration work, the county executive will pull the plug on funding."

"Right." Velma nodded again before she turned towards them and said, "The gang and I will see what we can do about this."

Cosmo nodded. "Appreciate you and the gang looking into this, Velma."

* * *

Back outside, the trio were walking down the main street as the sun began to set.

"So where do you suggest we go for our walk, Garfield?" Shaggy asked.

Garfield glanced around before he nodded towards the castle. "Well, I was thinking we can take a walk around the castle grounds."

Shaggy stopped as they turned towards the castle. "Like, you think that's a good idea, Garfield? The place is undergoing restoration as Velma's uncle said, plus aren't you going to worry about the gryphon lurking around and potentially snatching us?"

"Which is why we're sticking together." Garfield replied as he motioned towards Caisleán O'Flannery. "Besides, the gryphon's appearance is just a myth, and even if the gryphon does appear, it wouldn't harm someone who graduated from a high school that has a gryphon as a mascot."

"When you put it that way, I guess it doesn't hurt to give it a shot, Garfield." Shaggy sighed as he and Scooby followed Garfield. "But maybe let's not wonder off too far on the castle grounds."

"Of course not." Garfield nodded. "Not when it's getting darker as we speak."

"Right." Shaggy nodded back as they made their way towards the castle.

As the trio approached the castle grounds, Garfield continued, "Did you guys know that a gryphon denotes strength, intelligence and bravery, considering that it is a hybrid between an eagle and a lion?"

"Well, it is one fierce creature, Garfield." Shaggy said. "Though when you put it that way, I suppose it explains why your old high school has a gryphon as a mascot."

"Indeed." Garfield nodded as he adjusted his glasses.

In no short time did the trio arrive at the castle grounds, during which the castle makes its towering presense known.

"Zoinks, the castle has always stood out from the distance." Shaggy remarked. "But I never imagined it to be this big."

"You and me both, Shag." Garfield agreed as he examined the castle wall in front of them before capturing a picture. "Quite the Renaissance architectural design, I must say."

He then looked up towards the top of the towel and whistled. "Combined with the Gothic design, which fits with the Earl of Down's gothic and macabre reputation."

Both Shaggy and Scooby swallowed as they nodded in response to Garfield's remark, during which he captured a few more photos.

Holding his camera, Garfield arched his eyebrows briefly before he said, "I still got a couple more frames left, guys. Want me to take a picture of you guys with the castle in the background?"

"Sounds like a groovy idea, Garfield." Shaggy said as he and Scooby enthusiastically leaped into the frame.

Just as Garfield was ready to take the picture, a loud shriek from the nearby woods attracted their attention.

"Holy cow, what was that?" Garfield asked as the trio whipped around.

There were some leaves falling from the nearby trees, prompting the trio to share glances with each other briefly before looking around.

"Doesn't sound like the wind." Shaggy said nervously.

"That definitely wasn't the wind." Garfield said as he put down his camera and walked towards the nearby trees.

Before Shaggy and Scooby went to join him, they were startled when the two people from earlier came rushing out of the woods and almost collided with Garfield.

Immediately, the duo rushed over to Garfield and the couple.

"Oh, pardon me." Sherman said after he and Treena almost knocked over Garfield.

"No worries, though you both looked like you were running away from something." Garfield said.

"Indeed we were." Treena panted.

"Like, what was it that you guys were running away from in the woods?" Shaggy asked as he and Scooby joined them.

Before Treena or Sherman can answer, the loud shriek from earlier repeated itself, this time more loudly, prompting Shaggy, Scooby and Garfield to look up.

"That." Treena pointed towards the creature flying in the sky, prompting Garfield to take out his camera and capture a shot.

"Zoinks!" Shaggy exclaimed as he pointed towards the creature. "Is that what I think it is?"

"Afraid so." Garfield replied as he held up the developed photo and showed it to the others. "It's a gryphon alright."

Just then, the gryphon flying in the sky shrieked again, prompting the group to look up, in time to see it swooping down towards them.

Immediately, Garfield put down his camera and shouted, "Scatter!"

Without hesitation, the group promptly scattered around before the gryphon can swoop down and grab either one of them.

"Head back to town!" Sherman exclaimed.

The others only kept running with their hands covering over their heads as the gryphon shrieks loudly in its second attempt to swoop down at them.

* * *

Back in the manor, Fred, Daphne and the Dinkleys were in the living room, conferring about what Cosmo and Madelyn have discussed with Velma earlier.

"Definitely sounds like something's up, Dr. Dinkley." Fred was saying. "I can feel it."

"When you put it that way, it sounds like you might have unintentionally disturbed Lord O'Flannery's resting place, triggering the wrath of the gryphon." Daphne added with a frown. "But I'm certain that you both know as much as I do that gryphons are only mythical creatures."

Before any of the Dinkleys could offer something, their idle conversation was interrupted by plenty of hurried footsteps arriving at the front door, followed by door-knocking.

Immediately, Cosmo walked over to unlock and open the door, only to be forced to duck out of the way when Shaggy, Scooby and Garfield came plowing into the house, almost mowing him down in the process.

"Jeepers, you guys looked like you've seen something." Daphne remarked.

"What happened?" Madelyn added.

"You guys wouldn't believe what we ran into while taking a walk on the castle grounds." Garfield huffed as he, Shaggy and Scooby catch their breaths.

"Let me guess:" Cosmo said as he joined them. "It was the gryphon that was supposed to be protecting Caisleán O'Flannery."

"You got it." Garfield reached into his pocket and pulled out the photo he had just taken and showed it. "How'd you figure?"

Before anyone could reply, another shriek, this time louder and much more different than the gryphon's shriek, attracted their attention.

"Now what?" Velma asked before they all rushed out of the manor and onto the streets, where they were joined by several other townsfolk rushing towards the source.

When they arrived at the source, there was nothing in the creation of mankind that can prepare them for the ghastly sight in front of them, as evident by the horrified looks on one of the neighbours faces.

The neighbour in question had her hand covering her mouth, which prompted the gang and the onlookers to look towards what she was looking at.

"Zoinks!" Shaggy exclaimed at the sight.

"Jinkies!" Both Velma and Madelyn exclaimed in the same time.

"Jeepers!" Daphne exclaimed.

"Holy moly!" Fred added.

Garfield didn't say anything when he spotted the dead body laying on the floor. Instead, his eyes were focused when he spotted something burned onto the wall near the body.

It was a rough outline of a skull, complete with what appeared to be a snake emerging from the skull's mouth.

"咱(我們)緩和的旅遊會當(可以)告一段落矣(了)。" (So much for our relaxing trip.) He muttered to himself.

* * *

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